Silent Partner
by Flameses
Summary: Danny returns home 10 years after a Nasty Burger explosion killed everyone he ever cared about and Mr. Lancer. He finds FentonWorks just the way they left it. And what's up with the voice in his head? I really can't write summaries... Rated T for safety
1. Back

**Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic. Sorry if it's kinda short. Please review!**

**-Flaming Water**

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**Chapter 1- Back**

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_His ghostly wail drained all of his power. Dazed, he fell to his knees and changed back, into a human. A weak, helpless, out of breath human. He struggled to stand. Then he remembered them. He took a few staggering steps, and began to sprint back to where they were. A ring of blindingly white light appeared around his waist. It started to split into two, but fizzled out, as he didn't have the energy to complete that transformation into his ghost half. _

"_No!" he cried, lunging forward in one final desperate attempt to rescue them. Horrified blue eyes looked up for the last time at his friends, family, and teacher. Their wide, terrified eyes stared down at him. A split second later, they were gone, consumed in the explosion that took their lives as easily as one snuffs a candle. _

_He was thrown back from the sheer force of it. As before he lost consciousness, one word circled endlessly around his mind._

_No._

--

High above Amity Park, a ghost floated.

He pushed his shaggy silver hair from his forehead in an almost automatic gesture. His sharp, unnaturally green eyes scrutinized the town. Here he was, 10 years later, drifting above the place where his life had, effectively, ended his life.

Not literally, of course, at least not half of it. Technically, he was half dead.

_**Might as well have been wholly dead,**_ he thought, _**the way my life's gone.**_

He quickly pulled his mind back to the present. He usually tried not to think about that, as it led to far more painful remembrances.

Why had he come back here? Had his past 10 years' wanderings come full circle? Every molecule of his being was screaming for him to fly away from this place as fast as he could.

_Why leave? You should stay a while._

_**Hmmm.**_

It wasn't the nightmare he had seen in a slightly different future. Nothing had changed much, actually. There was a small memorial where they had… they had…

_Say it. _

_**Where they had…**_

He gritted his teeth.

_**…passed. There. Happy now?**_

_No. _

That simple statement brought with it a fresh wave of memories, causing him to reel back, as though he had been slapped. T

hey were overwhelming. He fought them away, enough that he could think clearly.

Why not? He could stay. But where? Surely his old place was occupied by someone else now.

He slowly descended invisible and intangible, just in case.

_**Just in case of what? I guess old habits die hard**_, he mentally chuckled.

_Laughing? Now that's something you haven't done in a while. A long time, a decade in fact. _

_**Shut up**_, he thought. _**Wait- shut up, what?**_

_Shut up, what indeed. _

He had known that this town would get to him, but he had imagined it in the opposite way.

Drifting down towards FentonWorks, he realized that the large sign proclaiming it to be the abode of the Fentons was still in place, as well as the OpsCenter.

_**What?**_

He phased through the roof, landing in the kitchen. Everything looked the same, albeit coated in a thick layer of dust. Not thinking, he walked over to the freezer and opened it. In the freezer were a few freezerburned casseroles next to some ecto-residue samples.

Confused, he leapt up through the ceiling, into his room.

It was just as he had left it, that morning. NASA posters on the walls, model rocket hanging from the ceiling. The stereo next to a few Dumpty Humpty CDs. The bed, unmade.

_They left and never came back, as did you. You have to accept this. _

_**No, I don't want to!**_

He searched frantically in his mind for something else to think about.

_**The basement!**_

He quickly went intangible and dove through the floors, all the while thinking,

_**The ghost portal! What if something got out? **_

When he phased through the ceiling of the lab, he let out his breath, realizing that he had been holding it. The familiar yellow and black doors of the portal were shut, and firmly bolted. Jazz must have locked it before she left.

_**Jazz.**_

_Just accept it already. She's gone. They're all gone. _

He didn't want to face it.

_But you have to. _

He flew back up into his room. He walked over to his bedside table and picked up the picture sitting there, taken a decade ago, they were 14.

Him, Sam, Tucker. They had been his best friends.

And he would never see them again. _I_

_t wasn't entirely your fault. They wouldn't want you to go on denying it. _

_**They wouldn't…**_

_When I look in the mirror_

_a stranger's who I see._

_Why would my own reflection_

_show someone other than me?_

_**Aren't we quite the poet?**_ he thought.

_I try. _

_**What am I doing?**_ he asked himself. _**Talking to the voice in my head? I'm going nuts.**_

_Of course you are. _

_**When I look in the mirror… **_

A thought struck him. He ran down the hall to the bathroom. There was a full length mirror in there. Jazz used it.

_She used to._

He turned the corner, into the bathroom and stopped. He gasped. How long had it been since he had last looked in a mirror?

_10 years, same has the time since you last laughed._

A man with unruly silver hair and ectoplasmic green eyes stared at him from the mirror. He was tall and kind of tan. The HAZMAT suit hadn't changed, black with silver boots, gloves, belt, and the _DP_ logo on his chest. Through the suit he could see that he had a lean figure, with corded muscle running up his arms, legs, chest.

_**Jeez. Has it really been that long? **_

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

_**Am I really ready for this? **_

_Yes._

A brightly shining ring appeared around his waist, then split into two spectral rings that traveled in opposite directions, one up towards his head, the other down towards the ground. He felt a tingly feeling as they passed, then dissipated.

He gazed at the self he hadn't been in a decade. Messy raven hair and icy blue eyes. He wore blue jeans, sneakers, and a white t-shirt with a red oval in the middle. His clothes were ripped, torn, and dirty from the explosion.

He stared at himself for a while, then took his time on the walk back from the bathroom. When he reached his room, he suddenly ran to his bed and threw himself onto it. As he drifted off into sleep, he smiled.

Fenton or Phantom, Danny was back.


	2. Why?

**Yes!! Chapter 2 up! I'll try to add new chapters as soon as I write 'em! **

**Oh, and I for got the disclaimer for the first chapter so here it is: I don't own Danny Phantom, or he would have many many new episodes! **

**-Flaming Water**

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**Chapter 2- Why?**

_Is this real? Or fantasy?_

_Are you alive? Or dead?_

_Do you think it was possible_

_to have given your life, instead?_

* * *

Danny opened his eyes. He sat up in a panic, then remembered where he was.

_Home._

_**Home?**_ he thought groggily.

_Yes, home._

He slid out of bed, stumbling across the room over to his closet. What could he wear? Obviously, he needed new clothes. Was the Amity Park Mall still open? He'd have to find out. He opened the closet anyway. Rows of white and red t-shirts and blue jeans met his eyes.

_**Did I wear anything else when I was 14?**_ He wondered, exasperated. _**What was I thinking?**_

They were all too small, but after rummaging around for a few minutes, he found a large, worn blue shirt and a pair of black jeans he must have been saving for… what?

_**Oh, well. Make do or do without. **_

_Aren't you forgetting something?_

_**Not you again**__._

_Yes. Me. But seriously. Before getting dressed in the morning you…?_

_**Shower!**_

_Aren't you a smart boy? Pick a prize off the top shelf._

Danny groaned. _**How long am I going to have to put up with you? Which brings me to my next question. Who -or what- the heck are you?**_

_Shower first, Mr. I-haven't-had-a-bath-in-a-decade. You smell like-_

_**Shut up and let me shower!**_

_Finally!_

Danny walked to the bathroom. He searched the cabinets and, finding a towel, turned on the shower and stripped down.

When the water reached a suitable temperature, he stepped in; sighing ad the hot water cascaded down his back. He winced as the water ran over old wounds, some only half healed.

During his travels, he had tried to keep a low profile. But some ghosts just had to test their skills on the famous 'ghost child'. Said ghost child grabbed the soap and scrubbed hard all over his body, though gingerly avoiding his injuries. Danny rinsed, shampooed, and rinsed again. He reluctantly turned off the shower, sticking his free hand out, fumbling for the towel.

Finding it, he stepped out and dried off. Danny messed up his hair with the towel to soak up enough water that it didn't drip. He wrapped the towel around his waist. Looking up, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror_**.**_

_**I forgot how many scars I had.**_

_Really?_

He shot another glance at the mirror and quickly walked back to his room. He really had forgotten some of the many prices he had paid to protect the people of Amity Park. Long, white scars ran down his arms and criss-crossed his chest and back. The ones on his palms and fingers had been particularly hard to hide from his parents after foolishly grabbing Skulker's blade to prevent it from slashing his neck.

_**Stupid blade.**_

_It wasn't the blade that was stupid._

_**No duh.**_

Danny shook his head. Why was he still talking to a voice in his head?

_**This is crazy.**_

_I'm not just a voice. But you do tend to favor crazy over sane._

_**Grrr.**_

He reached his room and pulled on a pair of clean boxers, the blue shirt, and pants. He realized that he didn't have any shoes.

_Your dad might have some._

_**I can't just take my dad's stuff! It's… it's not right.**_

_Why not? He's not using it anymore._

Danny gave in. _**You're remarkably cruel, you know that?**_ T

he voice giggled. _I try my best!_

Wandering into his parents' room, Danny found the boots that his dad had always born when they went camping. He tugged them on. Jack Fenton had always hated 'normal' clothes, but Maddie made him leave the jumpsuit behind on family outings.

_**Dad…**_

The halfa transformed in a flash of light and invisible, flew to the graveyard. He landed in front of their tombstone and changed back, falling to his hands and knees. Salty tears trickled down his face from tightly shut eyes as he spoke aloud for the first time in nearly a decade.

"Mom… Dad…" he cried. "Sam… Jazz… Tucker… I've missed you guys so much." Sobs wracked his body. "I- I- I wish I could have done something. To save you all."

He knelt there for a long time, pouring his sorrow, his fear, and his rage into the earth, flinging it up to the sky.

--

Danny sniffed. His blue eyes looked up at the last words engraved upon the stone. "Gone but not forgotten," he read aloud, his voice cracking.

_**Why?**_

_They forgave you long ago._

_**How do you know?**_

_Trust me. I know._

Danny nodded, and stood. Going ghost, he flew back home.

--

Danny sat down at the kitchen table, his tears long since dried. He was ready to face the world.

_**Maybe.**_

_Just maybe._

He had found money in the kitchen drawer, and he needed food and clothes. He stood up and was about to open the front door when-

_Someone's at the door._

_**What?**_

_Are you mentally deaf? I said that someone's at the door. They're about to knock._

_**Human or ghost?**_

_Would a ghost bother knocking?_

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Danny tensed, then took a deep breath and opened the door. And stared, speechless.

"Um, hi. I was walking last night and I saw that the lights were on. I came by this morning to see who-"

"Valerie?"

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**So how did I do? Hit that little button that says go and review! Please and thank you!**

-**Flaming Water**


	3. Valerie

**Thanks to you guys who reviewed! Just so you know, I might be slowing down with the updates, cause Labor Day weekend is almost over and I won't have as much time. Also, for those of you who haven't figured it out, the bold italics are Danny's thoughts and the plain italics are Wraith's. Oops! Tiny spoiler... Without further ado, I present... Chapter 3!**

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**Chapter 3- Valerie**

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**Before him stood a tall African American woman. Black hair that was long enough to cascade down her back was tightly braided against her scalp. Her teal eyes looked up at him, confused, then narrowed, alert now.

"Excuse me?" She asked. "Do I know you?" "Yes, you do," Danny replied quietly. She looked again, closer, harder, eyes narrowing even more. They quickly widened as her mind matched his slightly familiar face with a name.

"Danny? Danny _Fenton_?" Valerie opened her mouth to say more, but stopped herself and pushed him back into the house and closed the door.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed through her teeth.

"What do you mean?" He said, shocked at her reaction.

"After what you did you have the nerve to come back here?"

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked again, confused.

"Fine," Valerie said, "We'll have to do this the hard way." Before he could move, she has whipped out what looked like a Fenton Thermos and pushed the button. Danny, still perplexed, said not a word as he was sucked in.

--

As he sat (metaphorically) in the Fenton Thermos, Danny wondered.

_**What was that all about? How does she know my secret? What did Valerie mean, 'after what you did'? **_

_How am I supposed to know? I'm stuck here with you. _

_**I thought you were the omnipotent type. **_

_Nope. Since when did you start learning such big words? _

_**Since my world ended because I was too lazy to study for a test. **_

_Oh. _

_**You know, I never really thought about what it was like in here. Kinda claustrophobic. **_

_You'd probably go crazy without me to talk to. _

_**I'm already crazy. I'm talking to you, aren't I? **_

_That's not crazy. I'm real, not one of those little 'I am your conscience' things. _

_**If you're not, then what are you? And why are you in my head?! **_

_For a start, call me… Wraith. You might get some other answers in due time. _

_**Go ahead. We seem to have all the time in the world. **_

A deafening clanking sound came from overhead. Danny could see light. He was being let out.

_**The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it? **_

_Of course._

--

Danny did a face plant on the carpet.

_**Carpet? Is this her house? **_

_Yes. _

Danny stood up, groaning. He felt his hands pulled together in front of him.

Click-click.

Handcuffs, cool and glowing a faint green, were clasped around his wrists.

"They'll short out your powers. As long as they're on, you're effectively human for our little chat," Valerie said smugly.

"How long did you have me in that thing?" Danny asked. "A few hours."

_**Only a few hours? Seemed like a week. **_

_Time, uh, slows down when you're stuck in a Thermos with only a voice for company? _

_**Hilarious. **_

"Now you are going to answer some questions of mine," Valerie said. She pressed her hand down on top of his head and roughly pushed him down onto the couch.

"You ask your questions, but I have a few of my own," said Danny.

"Go ahead, but you'll be doing most of the talking."

"Fine, you first," he said.

"Why did you come back?" Valerie demanded, angrily.

"I don't know. I just sort of… came," he replied. "Whether you accept it as my answer or not, it's the truth."

"But why, after what you did?"

"What the heck did I do?"

"You can't have forgotten," Valerie said. "You can't be that unfeeling that their lives mean nothing to you. You're the reason they're dead, why did you kill them?"

Danny was dumbfounded. "You think that I killed them?" He asked quietly.

"Of course you did. You're evil."

"You may be right, that I'm the reason they're dead, but I am not evil, and I did not want them to die."

"How could you do it, Danny? Your parents, your sister, your best friends!"

He couldn't take it any more. Danny exploded.

"You think I wanted them to die? I did everything in my power to save them. Why would I intentionally kill everyone I cared about? I don't know how you figured out that I was half-ghost, but you can't be that blind. Not all ghosts are evil! On top of that, I'm half-ghost, so even if they all were, I'd only be half evil! I know you hunted me as Phantom and thought I, or he was evil, but you know me, Danny Fenton, the human, too. You aren't that blind, Val. I know you aren't."

Valerie stood there, staring until he finished his rant.

_Nice job keeping your temper, there. _

_**Shut up. **_

_Shutting. _

They stood there, Danny quietly simmering, Valerie turning his words over in her head, for a few minutes.

Finally, Danny calmed down enough to speak. "How did you figure it out? Or is common knowledge now?" He said, unable to control his anger.

She waited a while, then said:

"When I really thought about it, it was obvious. You always left the classroom right before my ghost alarm would go off, and that one time we were over the school, you had to leave when the bell rang. You knew my name the first time I 'met' you. Phantom disappeared when you did. You never wanted to hurt me. I realize that now."

Danny swallowed. "How many other people know?"

"None that I know of, cause I haven't told anyone," she replied.

"My turn again," Valerie said. "Where did you go? Why? You disappeared from the hospital. They didn't know where you had gone."

He stood silently, and then slowly answered:

"I couldn't face the fact that it was my fault they died. I went ghost, phased through the wall and flew away, not looking back, until I was too tired to continue. After that, I traveled the world, not speaking to anyone, not really myself, a complete loner. It seemed like I woke up one morning to find myself floating over Amity Park."

Valerie thought a moment.

Someone knocked at the door. "Hello?" came the muffled voice. "Val? I'm here!"

Valerie walked over to Danny and unlocked his handcuffs. "It's Star. We were going to dinner."

Another knock. "Come on, Val, are you coming?"

"Go," Valerie said. "I'll talk to you later."

Danny nodded, relieved. He transformed and invisibly flew through the door.

--

He landed in the kitchen and changed back.

_Well that was interesting. _

He walked to the front door and locked it.

_**Quite. **_

Danny climbed the stairs, going into his room and taking off his pants, shirt, and boots.

_**I guess I'll sleep in my boxers; I don't have any pajamas, either. **_

_Suit yourself. _

Danny brushed his teeth and lay down in bed.

_**Wraith? **_

_Yes? _

_**I forgot to get food and clothes. Will you remind me in the morning? **_

_I'm not a memo pad. _

_**Please? **_

_Fine. _

_**Goodnight. **_

_Goodnight. _

Danny slipped into a dreamless sleep.

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**How was that? Please tell me your opinions! Sorry if Wraith scares you, ShadowFireMario666. She's supposed to be a little creepy.**

**Thanks again to all of you who have reviewed so far!**

**-Flaming Water**


	4. Shock

**Yes! Chapter 4! Thanks to all you who have reviewed!**

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**Chapter 4- Shock**

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**"Euyyaaahhh," yawned Danny as he sat up in bed.

_Good morning, sleepyhead._

_**Why? What time is it?**_

_Noon._

_**Great.**_

_Get up, then go get clothes and food._

_**Hmmm?**_

_Like I said, I'm not a memo pad._

He got out of bed, slowly showered, and dressed in the same clothes as the previous day.

_Gross._

_**What, the clothes?**_

_No, I was referring to the fact that you took a shower. Of course I'm talking about the clothes._

_**Well, one- I'm a guy, and we tend not to care about such things. And two- I really have no choice.**_

He ran down the stairs, skipping the last three like he did when he was 14. He checked; the money was still in his pants pocket.

_**I think I'll walk today.**_

_Whatever._

--

Danny was whistling absentmindedly as he walked in the front door, laden with heavy bags. The majority held food. He left the two containing clothes by the stairs, and carted the rest off into the kitchen.

He unpacked the flimsy plastic bags. He had bought the basics for a single guy, living alone: a couple boxes of corn flakes, a sack of sugar, eggs, three bags of lime and vinegar potato chips, bread, four two liter bottles of soda, a carton of orange juice, and so on.

_Sure you got enough junk food?_

_**Not completely.**_

He picked up the eggs and moved to fridge, but, opening the door, set the eggs back down on the counter. He had some cleaning to do.

_Look at all that crap._

_**I hate this. I hate this a lot.**_

_Get used to it. _

Danny sighed and went to get the bleach.

--

Four garbage bags and three hours later, Danny had a fridge, freezer, and cabinets clean enough to set food in. Reminded by Wraith, he had used his cryogenic powers to keep the cold items at the right temperature. He set all of the new food where it had to go, then turned to the bags of trash.

He lifted the first two bags and took them out back, where the garbage cans were. He went back in, grabbed the other two, and tossed them into the cans.

He looked up at the evening sky, it seemed redder than usual.

_**No,**_ he told himself. _**It's just the sunset. You're seeing things.**_

_Are you so sure?_

He had turned around to go inside when-

"Good evening, Daniel."

Danny froze. His eyes narrowed. He then whirled around, transforming in an instant.

Black to silver; blue to green; normal clothes to tight-fitting hazmat.

He spoke menacingly. "Hello, Vlad. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be taking care of your lonely-guy cat?"

"It died a few years ago," Vlad replied.

Danny cocked his head.

_**Vlad looks… older.**_

_Well, duh, it's been what, a decade since you last saw him?_

_**No, not just that.**_

It was true. Vlad's cape was ragged, his normally bright red eyes duller, his hair less sharp, his voice rougher, harsher, haggard.

Vlad continued, "It seems as though the prodigal son has returned. And what does he find? Nothing but a shadow of his old life. What are you doing here, you ask? I should be asking you the same, Daniel."

"I asked you a question, fruit loop," Danny repeated.

"Ah, well it seems that, as of yet, I will be getting nothing out of you, but lets see how it goes when I'm finished with you," Vlad drawled.

Danny stood his ground, taking a fighting stance.

Without warning, Vlad attacked, sending a beam of purple light towards Danny. Danny set up a green shield, bouncing the ray back to Vlad, who dodged.

While Vlad was preoccupied with dodging the many ghost rays Danny had fired, Danny hurled a great ball of ice in his direction. Vlad, looking up too late to see it coming, was hit, sending him hurdling to the ground.

With Vlad on the ground, Danny began a steady stream of martial arts; a swift kick to the ribs, a punch to the gut, another kick behind the knees; all of which were blocked, and countered by Vlad.

They weren't quite equally matched; Danny younger, swifter, was lighter on his feet and wasn't tiring quickly; while Vlad was older, but wiser, and had more experience.

It was impossible to see who would win; the upper hand seemed to go from Danny to Vlad, back to Danny, Vlad.

Danny, quick to optimize his surroundings, picked up a pipe, and, charging it with ecto-energy, swung it at Vlad. It caught him unwary, and hit Vlad in the arm.

With a sickening crack, it broke Vlad's arm, and Vlad fell to the ground, chest heaving. Danny, also panting, reached down and placed his finger on Vlad's forehead. A brief look of concentration flashed across his face, then was gone.

Shock crossed Vlad's face as he realized that he had transformed back.

"What- What did you to me?" He asked.

Danny looked down at him, saying, "I shorted out your powers for a few hours. Kind of like what you used to do to me with the Plasmius Maximus. Just a little trick I picked up in my wanderings."

Unable to keep his ghost form, Danny also reverted back to human.

Silver gave way to black, as green lost its battle with blue.

_Nice._

_**Gee, thanks.**_

_No, seriously._

"I'll ask you again, Masters. What were you doing here?"

Vlad sighed, defeated. "I was sent. I had no choice."

Danny was dumbfounded. "Someone sent _you_?"

"Of course, boy, that's what I said."

Danny gathered himself. "Who would be powerful enough to send you?"

When Vlad gave no answer, Danny asked more. "Fine. If you won't tell me who, when what did they want you to do with me?"

"I was to capture you, question you, then bring you to him."

"Who is him?" Danny almost shouted, frustrated.

"Pariah Dark."

At that name, Danny's blood ran cold. "Him?" He whispered. "Again?"

"Yes, again," Vlad said, "and he wants revenge. He's already had his on me, but for you? It is worse than you can imagine."

Danny shuddered. "How… how did he get out?"

"That, I don't know, Daniel, but whoever did it is either a fool or a genius with a master plan."

Danny had heard enough. "As soon as your powers come back, go. Tell him… To be careful who he's messing with."

Vlad was surprised. "I wouldn't do that, my boy. Pariah is not one to be trifled with."

It was Danny's next statement that shocked him even more.

"I know. Just go and tell him what I said. This time, I will not come that close to dying."

* * *

**Mwahahaha! And the plot thickens... (I hope!)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Flaming Water**


	5. Burning

**Heya everyone! My wonderful sister helped me come up with this one. I was kinda stuck. Thanks again, sis! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5- Burning**

* * *

_**Everything is so… quiet. **_

_**Too quiet, **_Danny mused as he looked around.

His surroundings seemed distant, drained of all color. A gray street stretched endlessly into the distance, framed on either side by dull trees and buildings. The sky, too, was gray, though by clouds or smog, Danny couldn't tell.

Confused, he wandered aimlessly down the road, glancing to his left and right at empty shops, dirty windows revealing nothing. A faint mist was draped over everything, giving the air an eerie feel.

Movement caught his eye.

He swiveled around, but it was only a ragged sheet of paper, fluttering in a phantom wind. It struck him again, how quiet it was.

The silence was deafening.

_**This place is devoid of life.**_

Or so he thought.

Out of the corner of his icy eyes, he spied a flash of auburn.

He willed himself to go ghost, to fly after the figure that turned a corner and disappeared. But his ghost powers wouldn't obey him, so he settled for running.

The halfa rounded the corner and ran into Jazz.

"Jazz?" He asked shakily.

She stood silently, staring at him as he picked himself off of the ground.

"Jazz," he said again.

"Oh, my god, Jazz, I thought you were dead! I was so worried! I came back and it seemed as though nothing had changed. It was like a dream. So weird…"

His voice trailed off. He peered intently into her eyes. She was looking at him but didn't seem to _see_ him. They were blank.

"It really wasn't a dream, was it?" Danny said.

He stood there a while longer, searching her face in vain for any sign of emotion, of recognition. He then looked away, biting his lip in frustration.

A faint crackling sound reached his ears.

He turned back to Jazz, nose wrinkling as he smelled something… burning?

And it was coming from… Jazz?

His eyes widened when he realized that Jazz was blackening around the edges. He stood for a moment, and then it hit him.

Jazz had burst into flames.

"No!" he cried.

Danny tried to shoot beams of ice energy from his outstretched palms, to no avail. His powers had failed him yet again.

He then did the only thing he could think of.

He leapt at Jazz, and beat at the bright flames with his bare hands. The smell of roasted flesh filled the foggy air.

Danny fell back, crying out in pain, clutching his hands to his sides.

All he could do then was stand, frozen in fear and pain, fat tears rolling down his cheeks, as his dead sister was consumed by the hungry flames.

--

Danny walked dejectedly down the street, kicking stray pebbles into the clumps of straggly weed that grew up through the many cracks in the road.

_**What was that?**_

He still held his hands to his sides, not looking at them.

They still hurt like hell.

He was a little afraid to look at them. They were probably useless now, just burnt, crispy lumps of flesh that clung to the ends of his wrists.

As he walked, he stared at the road, only looking up when he sensed the presence of others, right in front of him.

When he raised his head, his eyes met the gaze of then two people, one in bright orange day-glo spandex, and the other in blue.

His parents.

Their eyes were dull, as his sister's had been. Not expecting an answer, he said, sadly, "Hey Mom, Dad."

He didn't get one.

Taking a few steps back, he caught their gaze and held it.

Tears once again flowed down his face as they, too, burst into flame.

Danny did nothing this time, knowing that he couldn't. He crouched, sobbing, blackened used-to-be hands holding his sided as they shuddered, as if he were trying to hold himself together.

When the fire had died down, he bowed his head for a few seconds for a few seconds, and moved on.

--

After a while, he came upon Tucker.

Tucker's eyes followed Danny's as Danny walked up. They stood, staring, for a few moments.

Then Danny asked, softly,

"You're not really in there, are ya, Tuck?"

This time, he knew there would be no answer.

Tucker's red beret was the first to catch fire. The flames moved down his shoulders, enveloping his backpack.

Danny heard the faint pops and snaps as Tucker's beloved gadgetry was burned, along with the rest of him.

As Tucker's ashes were carried away on the wind, Danny whispered,

"I'm sorry, Tuck."

--

The halfa traveled on, down the dreary road, dreading who he would next meet.

He wouldn't be able to see her, slowly burning. He would fall apart.

He noted that Wraith had been oddly silent, this whole time.

_**How uncharacteristic.**_

He continued, thinking,

_**I don't get this. Is this real? Or is it just a dream? What is this all about?**_

Then he saw the figure in the distance.

He stopped.

_**Am I ready for this?**_

Wraith gave him no answer. Not a word.

He took a deep breath, and kept walking, closer and closer to _her_.

As he got nearer, he saw that she was not stock still, as the others had been. She was shifting her weight to either foot, rocking from side to side, as if she was impatient for something.

Danny stopped a few feet in front of her. Her amethyst eyes looked up at him. They were just as bright and sparkling as they had been in life.

This was no empty shell.

When her eyes met his, Sam smiled and took off, running away from him. Danny sprinted after her, forgetting the pain in his charred hands in his excitement.

His happiness, soon died, however, as to the place Sam had led him.

It was there, the end of the street.

The Nasty Burger.

Not the semi-clean, kinda cheerful Nasty Burger, but the post-explosion Nasty Burger.

Sam stopped in the middle of the wreckage.

He did, too, pushing back the raven hair that had flopped in front of his eyes as he ran, but doing so just in time to see Sam disappear into the ruins.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Sa-am!" he cried in alarm, then in sorrow.

"Please don't go, Sam! I don't think- that I- could lose you- again…"

He thought he heard something, Danny cocked his head to listen.

It was Sam's faint voice, carried to his ears by the wind.

"I'm closer than you think."

--

Danny's eyes snapped open.

He sat up, blinking back unshed tears.

_**I just had the… strangest… dream. **_

_I know._

* * *

**Yes, it was... odd, but we were up late last night! Chapters of a twisted, tired mind...**

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**-Flaming Water**


	6. Answers

**Sorry this took so long- I know it's getting old to blame school, so it's mostly my fault. I need to start setting deadlines! Oh, well. Enjoy this answer-rific chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Answers**

* * *

Danny gritted his teeth in frustration.

_**I can't stop thinking about that stupid dream!**_

_It wasn't stupid. I don't know about the others, but it seemed as if Sam was trying to tell you something. _

_**Tell me what? 'I'm closer than you think?' What is that supposed to mean? **_

_That she is closer to you than you think._

_**Besides the obvious.**_

_She seemed fairly straightforward._

_**Not really.**_

_Pay attention to what is in front of you._

_**No, I don't think that's what she- Ooof!**_

He ran, okay, flew, headlong into a billboard. He phased through it.

He had been patrolling Amity Park for hours, in the same perfunctory fashion he had used a decade ago, but without the extra help.

_**Vlad said Pariah was looking for me. I need to find some sign of his coming.**_

_Like what? The Fright Knight? Some walking skeletons?_

_**Uh… yeah.**_

_Pitiful. Valerie knows more about Pariah's coming that you do._

_**Of course. She's actually been here for the past- Wait, what?**_

_Oops._

_**What are you talking about? **_

He got no answer. Angry this time, Danny repeated, _**What have you been hiding from me?**_

Wraith seemed to wince. She spoke in a very small voice.

_Pariah Dark and his hordes have been here for three years. Waiting for you._

_**AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!**_

_Umm… no._

_**What more do you know?**_ Danny asked, a little hurt that she hadn't told him sooner.

_A lot more than you think._

Danny took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

_**Would you kindly tell me all that you know?**_

Wraith sighed in his mind. _I guess I have to. But- You know what? I am so tired of communicating like this. I'm outta here._

_**Wait- No! I'm sorry if I made you mad. Please don't go.**_

_That's not what I meant. Just go back home. _

Puzzled, he flew back to FentonWorks.

--

_Can you spare energy? Like, a good amount of it?_

The inquiry took him by surprise.

_**Hmmm?**_

_Ecto-energy. Can- no, may I drain some of your ecto-energy?_

_**Umm... sure. Why?**_

_Energy now. Answers later._

_**Okay, okay! But how are you planning to do this? **_

He was still Phantom.

_You might want to sit down. And stay still! You may feel a little weak, I don't know, I've never done this before._

_**Than how do I know it won't kill me?**_

_Just trust me. Seriously, you've experienced worse._

Danny sat down and slowly closed his eyes. He leaned back, and braced himself, gripping the edges of the couch.

A little weak? That was nothing compared to the massive power drainage that occurred. It was as if he was a battery that wasn't meant to support something that large.

He moaned, and, dazed, reverted back to his human state.

_**Understatement, much?**_

"Sorry," said a feminine voice from in front of him.

To his now very tired mind, he couldn't tell that word was spoken, as opposed to in his head.

_**So… tired.**_

"Sleep," said the soothing voice. "Get your energy back. We have a long chat ahead of us."

--

Danny groaned and reluctantly opened his eyes.

"Jeez, Wraith, how long was I out?"

"A few hours. It's six pm," came the voice, behind him.

He twisted in his seat, brow furrowing. "Who are- Wraith?" His eyes widened.

"What?" the female ghost in front of him asked, her voice lightly echoing.

She tucked a loose strand of midnight colored hair behind her ear. Her eyes, so dark a crimson they were almost black, gazed at him, her eyebrows lifted a fraction. Her skin tight crimson belly shirt was partially covered by a half-zipped black hoodie. Black cargo parts and crimson-and-black boots covered her lower half. She was very pale, and slim. She seemed to be surrounded by a dark glow that leeched the light from all around her.

She caught him staring.

"What?" she repeated irritably.

"You're a ghost?" Danny asked dumbly.

"Of course. Clueless, much?"

"How- When-"

"Hold your horses, cowboy. Stay there. I'll start from the beginning."

Danny nodded.

"But where is the beginning?" she mused.

Wraith looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, and began.

"I've been stuck here in Amity Park for as long as I can remember. I haven't had enough power to manifest myself or leave the town. I had to siphon off energy from passing living things to survive. I was very bored, after the first few years. I tried to leave. I hid in the minds of animals, hoping to get past the city limit. But I couldn't. Every time the animal, be it a squirrel, rabbit, bird, got close to the boundary, and strange terror filled its mind. Through its mind, mine, too. It would flee, me with it. I couldn't seem to bring myself to leave. Then, something happened."

Danny interrupted. "What? What happened?"

"You came."

"What do I have to do with it?"

She glared at him. He looked up with an apologetic grin on his face, but closed his mouth, submissive.

"You, whether you know it or not, are an amazing source of power. So much energy manifests in you that it… radiates off of your being. That's what makes you so easy to sense. Most ghosts can find you simply by seeking out the largest power source. You're that strong."

Danny looked like he wanted to say something, but held it back.

"When you wandered into town, I had enough power to semi-manifest myself in your mind. Kind of like a second conscience. But, talking to you that way is annoying, and it is so much easier to talk face-to-face. I realized that if I could get enough energy from you, I could truly materialize. It was really quite simple, really. All I had to do was use the same siphoning trick I had used on others, but use it on a higher scale. Sorry I made you pass out. It couldn't be helped."

Danny took all of this, but wanted to get to the point.

"Okay, I kind of get all of this, but you're beating around the bush. What does this all have to do with Pariah Dark?"

Wraith gave him a long, piercing gaze, and asked quietly,

"Do you really want to know?"

He though a moment. Did he really want to know? It wasn't really his business. He could just leave.

_**No,**_ he then thought. _**It is my business. The ghost king is here for me.**_

_I can still hear you, you know._

Danny than said, "Yes."

Her face was a little sad now, but also… angry?

"Pariah has had a tight grip on this town for the past three years, as I said. Most of the people don't know it. While his grip is tight, it is also very, very stealthy. Only a few, like Valerie, know that he is here and oppose him. Valerie is the leader of the Resistance. The ghost king enforces a curfew. It was easy for him. He simply had his officials overshadow enough of the leaders of Amity Park to vote on the curfew. The people think it's just paranoia. Pariah's troops invisibly patrol the town every night."

Her face grew angry.

"But that is not the worst. Pariah has been killing off some of the people."

"What!?" Danny exclaimed, leaping up from the couch. He sank back down, clutching his head. He was still a little dizzy.

"Pariah had been killing off those who he thinks will make good officers in his army. If they have a particular talent he deems useful, he has his skeletons kidnap them. He has invented a way of making sure that they become ghosts."

Danny was furious. "If they're ghosts, why don't they fight back?"

"Think, Danny!" she retaliated. "Most of them are new ghosts. They aren't strong enough to oppose him. The consequences are… horrible for rebellion."

"What about Valerie?"

"Oh, he would love to get a hold of Valerie and her little resistance. He imagines that, in time, she would make a fierce general."

"Why didn't she mention it?"

"The same reason she let you go. She has changed since you left, as well as most of the people you once knew. Valerie, for one, had grown harder, stronger, but also more understanding. I imagine that she wanted you not to worry for a few days. She would have told you after a while."

Seeing the expression on his face, she said, "I can see you need some time. Call me if you need me."

At the last few words, Wraith faded from view.

* * *

**So- whatcha think? Please review!**

**Thanks for reading,**

**Flaming Water**


	7. STOP!

**Ahhh... Finally! Another chapter done! How long has it been? (looks at last update) Gaahhh!** **Two months? No, wait! MORE than two months! That's it! Unacceptable! (mentally slaps self in the FACE) Ow... Sorry...**

* * *

**Chapter 7- STOP!  
**

* * *

He hadn't called Wraith. Yet.

He was almost… afraid. What she had said had surprised him greatly.

_**Am I really that powerful?**_ he wondered, carefully not broadcasting his thoughts to Wraith.

Over the last few days he had practiced putting up barriers around his mind. Walls that no ghost- no one at all- could crack.

The halfa knew that she was still with him. She was always there, flickering on the edges of his vision, seemingly real, but not. He could also feel her presence, waiting patiently on the outside of his mind shield.

Danny had been flying around the city, invisible, for the last three days. He still didn't know what exactly he was looking for. He stopped over the park, scanned the scenery, and continued on.

--

The football field. Home of many, many beatings received from Dash and his goons. He allowed himself a grim chuckle. He still remembered the time when he had filled in for the team's mascot, the raven.

"_Fill in for the mascot. It'll be fun. You'll meet cheerleaders." _

That never happened, of course. He had ended up taking care of Dash's little big problem. And Desiree, he recalled. Tucker had been the one who had received the beating.

_**Did I apologize for that? Mmm… I can't remember.**_

He pulled his mind out of the past and into the present. He didn't see anything upon his first glance of the field, but, as he turned to leave, a familiar chill crept up his throat. He shivered as blue mist trickled out of his mouth.

"My ghost sense?" he said, perplexed.

He scrutinized the stadium, this time seeing the ghost. It walked nonchalantly across the field. Danny's sharp hearing caught the tune; it was something that sounded like the theme from an old soap opera.

He swooped down, saying, "Excuse me, but, can I help you?"

The ghost looked up quickly. Danny's brow furrowed; there was something familiar about the blond hair, blue eyes, and… football jersey?

"Dash?" he asked. The ghost looked confused, then nodded.

"Danny Phantom?" he said, awe and something like hope creeping into his voice. "You've finally come back! Please… Save us?"

It sounded more like a question than a plea for help. Danny landed, walking over to Dash's ghost.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Dash shook his head. "Wait- No! Get away!" he yelled, backing away. "I have orders… I can't disobey-"

Dash disappeared in an explosion of green and the sound of ripping cloth. Muscles bulged, showing through his now neon green skin. The beastly specter stared out at him from the inside of an undersized football helmet with creepy red eyes.

"-HIM!!!" It finished, roaring out of its carnivorous maw. With another earth-shaking roar, it barreled towards him.

Danny, still a little surprised, took the hit full force. The ghost- no, Dash-promptly tackled him, holding the halfa to the ground with his immense weight.

_A decade. 10 years and the only moves in his repertoire are still old football tackles? Doesn't Pariah take the time to actually train his troops? _

Danny was paying too much attention to the fight that he didn't notice that little remark.

With a grunt, Danny shakily lifted the heavily muscled ghost off of him and tossed him to the other side of the football field. The larger ghost, having all brawn and no brains, clumsily landed on his face, helmet plowing into the weed infested grass. He bellowed, getting to his club-like feet.

Again, he bounded toward Danny at breakneck speed.

Sighing, Danny froze the grass below the monster's feet, making a slippery path to slick for the bulky beast to run upon. With a yelp of surprise, it lost his footing and fell hard, his helmeted head hitting the ice with a crack. Spiderweb patterns spread out on the ice from where his head had fallen.

The large, green ghost groaned, head lolling to the side. Dispelling the old ice, Danny summoned new ice, shackling the monster to the field with icy manacles.

With some terrifying, maniacal joy, the halfa began to reach toward its head to pull out the monster, even though it was on the outside.

_**It worked last time, why not his time?**_ he thought.

_Danny, no!_ cried Wraith in his mind. _He's a ghost now. It might hurt him!_

_**Who cares?**_ said the new, calculating voice.

When Danny continued, putting a silver glove-clad hand to the monster's forehead, Wraith appeared on the scene.

"Danny! STOP!" she begged.

Looking up at his face, she stared. His normally bright green eyes were dull, tinged with crimson around the edges.

Horrified, she reached into the monster's mind and awoke its not so ugly counterpart. The muscled ghost moaned, and slowly began to shrink into a ghost that could be recognized as Dash.

A little relieved, Wraith looked back at Danny, namely, his eyes. He straightened, and blinked several times. His eyes flashed a bright red, then were back to their usual green.

He blinked again, the seemed to realize what he was about to do.

"No…" he whispered.

With that, he flew away, filled with angst and confusion.

--

He landed outside FentonWorks. Intangible, he dove into the pavement, down into the lab.

Wraith pursued him. Also landing in the basement, she walked towards him, watching him key in the sequence to open the ghost portal.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"What do you think I'm doing?" he answered angrily. "I'm going to see Clockwork."

"But why?"

"You saw what I almost did back there!"

"Yes, but what do you have to go running to Clockwork for?"

"I need to ask him what happened. Wraith, something… changed, in my mind. Something changed for the worse."

She interrupted, "What kind of worse? Sick worse? Confusion worse?" When he didn't answer, she repeated, "What kind of worse?"

His answer was so quiet she couldn't hear it. Instead of asking again, she caught it from his mind.

_**Evil worse.**_

" I don't care how evil that was or what you were about to do, but you are not going to Clockwork," she said.

"And what's to stop me?" he retaliated. "You? Sorry if this offends you, but I could overpower you so easily that it's not funny."

She held up a Fenton Thermos, shakily pointing it at the halfa. "Danny, if you take one more step toward that portal, dammit, I will suck you into this Thermos," she threatened.

Danny saw that she was on the verge of tears; his expression softened. "What's wrong, Wraith?" he asked softly.

Her hands dropped to her sides, the Thermos clanging on the metal floor. "It's Clockwork," she said, voice catching a little. "He's… he's… he's gone, Danny. Dead. For good."

His eyes widened. He was about to talk, but she looked as though she would collapse. Danny walked over to her and put her arm around her. She leaned into his chest, sobbing, while he absentmindedly rubbed her back, gently.

"He was just… so important to me, Danny. He saved me, helped me when no one else would. And for that… they killed him. They had followed me, and I led them right to him. It's all my fault, Danny. It's all my fault."

"Shhh," he said. "It'll be ok."

He put his other arm around her, embracing her. She stopped talking, but her soft sobs could still be heard in the silent laboratory.

They slowly rocked back and forth, Wraith physically crying her pain, while Danny silently expressed his grief for his lost mentor.

* * *

**Wait- what? Clockwork's dead? WHY DID I DO THAT??? (mentally slaps self in the FACE, again, harder)**

**I'm such and idiot :) Go ahead, slap me with reviews.**

**Thanks for reading.  
**

**-Flaming Water  
**


	8. Wraith

**I couldn't wait to post this chapter! I am a little scared though... Writing Clockwork is something that really kinda makes me nervous... **

**More at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Wraith  
**

* * *

Clockwork turned away from one of his many screens, each showing a different timeline, with a grim chuckle.

"Wraith, what are you doing?" he asked quietly. Not that he ever really needed to ask anything, for he knew the answers they would give long before the questions were asked. Sometimes he liked to say such things anyway; it amused him.

He looked at the clock atop his staff, watching the last few seconds tick by before-

"Clockwork! What was that?" The ghost of Time turned with a sigh to the Observant who had so rudely intruded into his lair.

"What was what?" he asked in reply.

The Observant, obviously frustrated already, said, "You know what I am talking about, Clockwork."

Clockwork smirked. He knew.

The one-eyed ghost continued, misreading the master of Time's silence. "The ghost child's brief mental snap. What was it? Will it happen again?"

Clockwork wanted to say something, but he would only be interrupted.

"And the female ghost's prevention of the ghost child's entrance of the Ghost Zone. His purpose was to find you, correct? Why did she lie and prevent him?"

Clockwork felt that he should at least defend his ward, just a little. "For one, Danny is no longer a child. That much is obvious. He hasn't been said child for a long, long time, relatively speaking. You should have noticed. Don't you Observants pride yourselves on being just that? Observant? Of course you do. Now, I know you have your oath, to watch, but never to act. That is why come to me, or other suitable ghosts to do your dirty work."

Knowing that the Observant's normally acid green complexion would soon redden in anger, as it was tinged pink already, he softened his words.

"Yes, I will answer your questions in due time, but for now, let's see how it all plays out. There are a million and one different ways this whole situation could go, and the count is growing. Why, you ask? All things will become clear soon, very soon. For now, I will say this: the timelines are, in a way you would understand, merging, and Danny will find things quite difficult in the coming times."

--

Back in the realm of Earth, the half ghost, being the subject of much gossip among other ghosts, rolled over in his bed. He had shown Wraith the guest bedroom, but he didn't know if she had someplace else to sleep, much less if she slept at all.

Sitting up and getting out of bed, he wandered down the hall to the guest bedroom, now Wraith's room, if she had chosen to accept it.

Pausing by the door, he listened for the sound of her breathing. Ghosts didn't need to breathe, but many relatively 'young' ghosts still felt more comfortable clinging to some old habits. Another was eating. Many still occasionally eat.

Sure enough, the soft noises reached his well trained ear. He cracked open the door, hopefully slowly enough that it didn't-

CREAK!

He froze, alarmed eyes watching the sleeping figure. She stirred a little, then was still.

Danny released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding; it left him quietly. Standing in the half open door, it struck him how familiar she looked. He knew her, yet he didn't, and she looked a lot like some older friend…

_**Sam.**_

At the last moment he realized that the barriers he normally held around his mind weren't there; he had forgotten to hold them in place.

Wraith stirred again, then sat up, rubbing her eyes as she croaked, "Yes?" in a voice husky with sleep. She looked up, seeing Danny standing there, and, realizing her slip up, stiffened.

He swallowed. "Is it really you?" he whispered.

Fully awake now, she murmured, "Shit!" under her breath. She then looked down at her feet and said, "Yes…"

His eyed widened. "I though you were dead," he said.

"Danny, I _am_ dead," she replied.

"I thought it would be best if you didn't-"

"Sam, I thought I had lost you. For good. You saw how devastated I was after it happened."

"I didn't know how to tell you. What was I supposed to do? The first day you came back to Amity Park, should I have just popped into your mind with a 'Hey, Danny, it's Sam! I'm a ghost now! Yay!' You're a different person now. I didn't know how you would react, either."

Danny shook his head. "Sam, you're my best friend. I would have been happy."

She looked away. "But I'm a ghost now. You hunt ghosts."

He walked across the room to her, thinking before he said, "I don't care. You know that there are ghosts that are good. And you know that I know that. I fought with my parents time and time again for that very reason."

Standing right in front of her now, he pulled his very best friend in for a tight embrace. He grinned into her silky black hair.

"Besides," he laughed, "I leave most of the 'hunting' to Skulker."

--

A few hours later, also to be known as the next morning, Danny woke up smiling. He then frowned.

Had that been a dream? No.

Grinning like a child on Christmas morning, he quickly got out of bed and dressed. He practically flew down the stairs, which was possible, considering. He purposefully stopped before entering the kitchen. He then took a deep breath, and, nonchalantly, walked in.

There she sat, absentmindedly eating some organic wheat cereal. Hearing Danny come in, she looked up, a smile graced her features.

Danny found it hard not to stare. He wondered, _**Does it really take ten years of believing a person is dead to really appreciate said person? **_

He was careful not to let those thoughts past his mind wall to let her hear those, of course.

* * *

**Aww, come on. You guys know I could never kill Clockwork! Anyway, it's kinda impossible, unless he knew it was his time. **

**I was asked for a few answers, and hopefully, I delivered, while creating a few more questions. I really hope I did ok writing Clockwork... I'm still a little, no, very scared. Clockwork is pretty much sacred to many. Ummm... I'm gonna go cringe in a corner... (Unless the reviews aren't too bad. Then I might just come out :P just kidding :) **

**I'll come out -eventually- :)  
**

**-Flaming Water  
**


	9. Control

**Argh. I've had the idea for this for a long time, but I had nothing to do tonight and my inner muse was being an old bugbear and wouldn't let me sleep until I wrote and posted this. **

**I'd like to thank my reviewers so far-**

**inukagome15, Dannyandsamlover, Invader Johnny, Starstruck lovergurl, Befread, DannyTimmygirl327, CrystalDream, and ShadowFireMario666 (anon)**

**Thanks for sticking with me so far and I hope not to disappoint. To those of you who read yet do not review, I cannot truly thank you as I do not know who you are. So review and let me know! (Please)  
**

**To you (the reviewers), I present the next chapter of Silent Partner!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Control  
**

* * *

Clockwork knew that the Observant would keep up his tirade for hours unless Clockwork answered at least one of his seemingly endless questions. He decided after a while that he would answer one every once and a while to keep the Observant placated. He didn't really want to do so, as it was against his usual policy, but he knew it was inevitable.

Once this decision was made, he knew that there was a maximum amount of "time" until the Observant really lost it. The Master of Time didn't like dealing with these occurrences, and he always avoided them, unless it was absolutely necessary. He still knew what he would have to do to stop one in it's tracks once it started, but still.

Clockwork sighed, shifting into his youngest position, that of a child. The Observant had almost reached his limit. There were a few moments left before the Observant would absolutely blow up. Picking one of the Observant's questions out of the green-tinged air, as the Observant was so furious that...

Clockwork sighed again. Time to answer the question he knew he had to answer. "Why, you ask?" he said quietly. Clockwork never truly asked anything. He already knew the answers.

Though "angry as hell" as some younger ghosts might put it, the half-question reached the Observant's non-existent ears. "Clockwork?" he asked, not sure if the time ghost, infamous for avoiding unwanted questions, had actually begun to answer one of his many questions. Realizing that he had his mental mouth hanging open, he quickly drew himself up and resumed the pose of an Observant. Calm, cool, collected, and completely in control of the situation.

Clockwork silently suppressed a chuckle at his attempt, them his scarred face resumed all seriousness once more. He unconsciously shifted into the form of a much older ghost, saying, "Please repeat your question." He didn't need this, but he knew that it helped the slightly nervous Observant to feel more in control.

"If the many different timelines are merging, why then is he having these problems? In most of them, he remains good, and entirely sane," said the Observant with a slightly shaking tone, though managing to sound commanding none the less.

"You forget," answered Clockwork, "that in many of them, he doesn't."

--

Danny whistled a happy tune as he flew loops over Amity Park. Wraith- no, Sam- had told him to fly patrol without her this morning, claiming she was feeling a little fatigued.

--

"_Come on," he protested, "When a ghost feels sick, it's not really, well, you know, good." _

"_I'll be fine," she replied. "It's probably just all of the pressure being put on this town by Pariah's forces." _

"_Pressure?" _

"_You don't feel it?" she asked, mildly surprised. _

_He shook his head, a confused expression upon his face. _

"_You probably do," she said. "A ghost at your power should be able to detect it. You just don't know how to focus your energy on finding it. No one's ever told you what it was." _

_Danny though for a moment. "You know what, Sam? I think I do. I've been feeling a slight headache ever since I returned. It lessened a little after you got out of my head." At this he looked pointedly at Sam. She returned the glare. He continued. "But it's still there, now that I think about it..." His voice trailed off and he stared into space, lost in thought. _

"_Danny." _

"_What?" _

"_Don't you have something important to do? Hmmm... Let me think... Anything like a... I don't know... A patrol, perhaps?" _

"_Oh. Yeah. Right," he said, embarrassed._

_--  
_

He pulled himself out of his reverie just in time to avoid crashing into a billboard.

_**What is it with me and billboards?**_ He wondered. He scratched his head and looked around.

"Well," he said to himself, "I guess there's nothing right now. I guess I should head back."

"Oh, really, whelp?" asked a familiar voice from behind him. Danny's eyes widened. He turned around, only to crash headfirst into the metal specter. He hurriedly flew back a little, rubbing the red spot on his forehead.

"Skulker?" he said.

"Morning, ghost child," replied the hunter. "Though I suppose you're not technically a child anymore."

"You're darn right, I'm not," replied Danny, quickly pulling his fist back and, with a powerful blow, knocked Skulker down towards the city.

Skulker recovered, saying, "It seems you've gotten powerful in the past decade. But what 10 years to a ghost like me? It seems I've gotten more upgrades, too!" With that, a spectral cannon sprung out of his machine-clad arm and shot bright green lightning at Danny, who easily dodged. "Really?" he started to say, before another bolt caught him full on in the stomach.

"Oof," Danny gasped, promptly disappearing from view .

"What?" taunted Skulker. "Is a little lightning too much for the infamous halfa? If it is, your pelt will rest at the foot of my bed in no time at all!"

"Have you gotten any less gross since I last saw you?" asked Danny, suddenly reappearing behind Skulker. Placing his silver glove-clad hands around the nape of the hunter's neck, he began to squeeze.

"Please, ghost child," laughed the ghost. "I don't need to breathe. Surely you know that. Besides, this is metal armor."

Infusing his hands with icy-cold ectoplasmic energy, his they glowed a bright turquoise, more green that blue. "Sure you don't, and yes it is, but can it -and you- take this?" Danny cried, triumphant. With this, he squeezed again, harder, grinning even more fiercely as the strong armor gave way beneath his fingertips.

Once he had gotten through, he ripped out the main spine-like controls in the suit's neck, effectively "killing" the suit. He let go, waving cockily as the hunter plummeted to Earth. "Bye bye, Skulker! Have a nice fall!" Grimacing at the obvious pun, he continued to smirk.

Watching the ghost fall, to his surprise, he saw the head pop off and Skulker's real body -small and green- eject from the cockpit of the suit. He forgot that he could easily dispose of Skulker for good then and there, he continued to watch in surprise as the slowly drifting green form pressed a button. A new suit appeared, enclosing it's body. Wings unfolding from his back, he flew back up to meet Danny, catching him with a swift uppercut.

He laughed. "Didn't think you could get rid of me so easily, did ya, whelp?"

The silver-haired ghost shook his head to clear it. "Well," he replied, "It's just as easy now!" He drew breath, then released all of his energy and willpower into his ghostly wail.

Skulker smirked. "You're going to yell at me? That's going to do the..." His voice trailed off as he realized that this mere "yell" was working. Pieces of his armor were peeling away, revealing circuitry underneath, which gave way to nothing.

"What?!" Skulker cried in outrage. He did his best to protect himself with a weak shield, but it only protected his upper half. When the green shockwaves finally stopped, Skulker opened his eyes to find the lower half of his suit entirely gone. Dissipated.

He looked up at the other ghost, who looked completely out of it. For a brief moment, he thought that he could easily take the upper hand in this battle. Then, glancing back down at his legs, being no longer there, he realized that the whelp had won. For now. Keeping his pride, he called out to the boy.

"I'll call this a stalemate for now, whelp. But I'll be back soon, and then we can end this!"

The ghost child suddenly lunged at Skulker with terrifying speed. Grabbing the hunter's shoulders, he looked up, his eyes a bloody red.

"Did you think," he asked in a malicious voice, "that I was done with you?"

His hands glowing red, he removed them from Skulker's shoulders and placed them in front of Skulker's face. He grinned dementedly. Skulker closed his eyes, bracing himself and preparing for the end. But it did not come. He opened his eyes again, peeking out from under an up thrown arm.

The ghost boy had stopped, and strange expression on his face. His expression then twisted and the boy cried out. "Stop.... it..." He forced the words out through gritted teeth. "Get... out... of... my... head!" He shouted, his eyes flickering to green.

Skulker managed to float back a little, confused. What was wrong with the whelp?

His eyes went red once more, and he said in the corrupt voice again, "I had this under control! I was about to get rid of him and then you butted in! Just go away! I'm the master now." He cackled evilly, then stopped again.

"I. Said. Go. AWAY!" screamed the boy, his eyes going green once more before they rolled up in his head, and Phantom began to fall towards the ground.

That was all Danny knew before everything went black.

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**Whew, that was a longie. Oof.**

**Thanks for reading! **

**Talk to you guys later-**

**-Flaming Water  
**


	10. Skulker

**Wow... Another chapter. Again, just had to write this before I forgot.**

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**Chapter 10 - Skulker**

**

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**The Observant was quiet for a while then, a look of peaceful contemplation in his single, bulbous eye.

Clockwork looked on, absentmindedly shifting into this middle-aged form, his long white beard disappearing in favor of a clean shaven chin while he prepared his answer to the Observant's next question. He already knew exactly what to say, but it was a way to pass the Time.

He looked up at the Observant as he was pulled abruptly out of his reverie by a sudden thought. He looked a little confused at first, then stared at Clockwork, his eye narrowing. To him, Clockwork appeared deep in thought. "Clockwork," he said, to get the Master of Time's attention.

"You already have it," replied Clockwork.

"What?" asked the Observant, puzzled.

"My attention," Clockwork said. "You've had it ever since you had the thought to enter my lair."

The Observant didn't quite get it, but by now he was somewhat used to Clockwork's ambiguous manner of speech. Thus, he went on with his question. "The boy has problems with his sanity now that different dimensions are merging."

"That didn't sound much like a question," Clockwork said, knowing it would irritate the Observant.

"I wasn't finished!" replied the Observant angrily, reddening as much as one with green skin can.

Clockwork chuckled and waved his hand. "Go on," he said.

Glaring at him, the Observant continued. "The girl, as well, goes insane in many more timelines than the half-ghost boy. Why does she not have the same problem?"

"The answer is fairly simple," answered Clockwork," to one such as I, being able to see what has happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen. Past, present, and future. Now as simple to you, perhaps. Certainly long. This time that we are all focusing upon is the primary line. All other times concerning Danny split off of this one. In the timelines where Danny's loved ones died, only in about half of them did he lose his mind, becoming evil. The ones where he didn't gave him more time before the crossroads of good and evil within his mind. In most of the timelines concerning the girl in this situation, her ghost was driven insane much more quickly, because of her lack of power and control over her, to put it one way, life. She dealt with her insanity long ago, gaining the ability to control the power her insanity gave her while not becoming insane herself. I expect her to assist Danny in controlling his. But that is not for a little while yet. Come, watch the story unfold."

--

Skulker watched as the boy fell to Earth, as he hit said Earth with a resounding crack, as the dark asphalt gave way to form around the halfa.

He sighed, looking down at his lower torso, which was no longer there. It was a long way back to the Ghost Zone. Even once he got there, his island was a fair trek in. He was about to turn to leave, but not before his software picked up... Bones. Clinking and rattling together as the ghosts they belonged to marched in tempo, then began to run.

Refocusing the technology in his eyes to find the source of the noise, he found exactly what he had hoped not to find. A few skeleton thugs from the army of Pariah Dark had discovered the boy.

His prey!

He watched, helpless, as they ran forward to subdue his prey. If they managed to get him to the Ghost King, there would be no chance to hunt him ever again. No, only one possible chance. If Pariah Dark used him up, burned him out under the pressures of too young a general in his army, he might let him go. But then, there would be no witty banter, no sport, no fun in the hunt. There would be no value to a ghost like that.

There was only one thing he could do. He hated to do it, but he would have to. Turning from his prey, he fired his jet pack and flew the opposite direction, towards FentonWorks.

--

He tried to land, then realized he couldn't with no legs. He had no backup backup suit. On second thought...

_Note to self: get Technus to create backup backup suit, _he entered into the keypad on his arm.

Nevertheless, he hovered at what he hoped was the right level in front of the front door and knocked. He had had thoughts to just phase through the door, but, when entering the home of enemies, it was best to be polite, he reasoned. On the second knock, the door was opened by a female ghost with black hair, clad in black and crimson.

"Hel-" she started to say, before her eyes widened. "Skulker?!" she said, astonished.

"Umm, yeah. I-" began Skulker, before she pulled him inside, slamming the door and shoving him up against the wall.

"What are you here for, Skulker?" she asked menacingly. "Looking for Danny? What, you were tired of looking for him, so you came to his house? So kind of you to knock, but sorry, he's not here right now." Her eyes now black from there original red with fury, she pulled up her free hand into a fist. Skulker realized that she was holding him up with one hand.

She continued. "I'm sure I can compensate for that, though. I think I know what he would have said. Here, try the knuckle sandwich!" With that, she quickly jabbed her fist forward, to punch him in the face.

Skulker barely managed to stop it with his hand, and even so, the force of it dented his metal palm. "Wait!" he cried, just in time to freeze her next strike.

"Hmmm?" she asked.

"I'm not here for him! I've already fought him today!" He internally winced. Probably not the best thing to say in front of an angry, somewhat overprotective female ghost.

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh really?" She asked, looking him over and loosening her grip a little. "Well, I guess he's made his mark on you. But if your battle is over then why isn't he here? Why are you? You should be in the Ghost Zone. Is he injured?" Her grip tightened once again and she looked up at him expectantly. "Well?"

"I, uh..."

She shook him. "Spit it out!"

"Near the end of our fight, he..." He explained Danny's strange power, his changes of heart, as it seemed, how he passed out, and that Pariah's skeleton thugs were currently bringing Danny to the Ghost King. By the time he had finished, she had set him down fairly gently, a look of contemplation upon her face.

He spoke up. "Shouldn't you be going to rescue him or something?"

She frowned, looking down to him. "What do you care?"

"He's my prey. I'm not going to let someone else just take my prey. Even it they are the Ghost King's minions." He sniffed, a little offended that he had to explain.

"Hmmm," she said.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Go help the whelp!"

She shook her head. "Nah. One, he'll get here on his own in a minute, and two..." She shoved him up against the wall again. "If you ever call him 'whelp' in front of me again, I'll make you so sorry that you became a hunter I the first place that you'll probably take up gardening or something."

Her voice had dropped to a menacing whisper, enough that he had to lean closer to hear.

"You got that?" she said loudly, causing him to jump.

Satisfied that if his boots had been there, he would have been shaking in them, she smiled pleasantly and said, "Why don't I set you down on the couch? As soon as Danny gets back we'll get you back to the Ghost Zone, no problemo." Not waiting for an answer, did as she had said.

Settling down onto the couch opposite, she assured him, "Don't worry. You won't have long to wait." Though the word were more or less cheerful, Skulker detected a grim tone to her voice. He had already been a little confused, but now? Determined that he would be here for a long time, no matter what the female said, he laid his head back and closed his eyes.

Less than a minute later, he heard a slight commotion over by the front door. He looked up in time to see his prey, dirty and tired, stumble, intangible, through the front door, collapsing on the floor.

"All right," Skulker yelled. "Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on here?"

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**So what do you think?**

**Have a happy New Year!**

**-Flaming Water  
**


	11. A Note

Alright.

To start- Hi. Yeah, guess I'm back.

I am very sorry to say that this is not a new chapter; I doubt I will really write another chapter of _Silent Partner_..

To get to the point, I am officially putting this story up for adoption. I know, I know, I hate it when other people/writers/artists do this too, but I kinda get it now that once you lose heart for a story, it never really returns. I stopped for writers block quite the while ago, and I just kinda lost the plot and the spirit of the story. Anywayz, I'm a horrible writer in that I am way to lazy, and I nearly never update. Yeah, I pretty much suck. I'm not nearly consistent enough. Next time I write a fic I'll write the entire story in advance and update it regularly: that way it will not drive me crazy and you readers (if you're still there) will be much more satisfied.

On the adoption: please, please, please, someone, take this story. I sincerely wish to see it continued. If you wish to continue it, just say so in your review (please).

On the very, very (as I see it) rare occasion that there are multiple writers wishing to continue it, I suppose you could PM or email me perhaps a real 11th chapter, or the first, revised as you wish to write it. Even if you're the only one, please just go ahead and send me a chapter- I wish to see how the story's going to be taken care of. In the case of multiple, I will read them all and judge the best one to take the story (I'll PM you). There is the possibility that multiple writers could take the story. They would either write it together, or each take the story in very different directions. I don't really see the possibility of multiples, but I feel I should cover it. I do reserve the right to decide that no one takes it; however, I doubt that's really a possibility.

To whomever wins (did I use the 'whom' right?) I will send a PM saying just so and possibly some little ideas I had for the future of the fic (yes, I did have a few ideas, but they were tiny- snippets of a dream). Whether you use them or not is your decision, I would just like to tell you for your information. Maybe it will help? I dunnoz. Once there is a successful adoption and the new story begins to be published I will probably delete this old one.

To whoever adopts this fanfic, they may either rewrite or simply continue it. I can beta if you need one, just say so in your review/PM/whatever!

Again, I sincerely apologize for doing such a despicable thing to this story (abandonment). Please, please adopt it.

Go ahead- flame me, I'll take anything that I feel I deserve (and that is quite a lot). If it's to much, I'll yell right back at you. ^^

I really hope to see this fic continued. Please show me that you can take it.

Sincerely,

Flames, coughing and shameful.


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